Despite going almost a month without a COVID-19 outbreak at a local long-term care or retirement home, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) continues to support them.
"We have public health inspectors that are assigned to a group of homes and they're all assigned to the homes to do inspection, follow up and support in the event of any outbreak as well," says Theresa Marentette, WECHU CEO
Marentette says inspectors continue to look at infection prevention and control measures, adding, "Making sure they're still adhering to all of the public health measures and other infection control measures that are mandated at all times."
When it comes to the vaccination rate of residents and staff in the homes, Marentette calls it "very good," but says not every single person is vaccinated.
"While I can tell you they,re not all vaccinated," she says, "The COVID vaccine is a voluntary vaccine and I don't know the actual coverage rates, you,d have to call the homes and ask them but we know that not all the staff are vaccinated."
The last outbreak at a long-term care or retirement home in the region was rescinded on May 4.
Meanwhile, the provincial government reported on Thursday that common areas in all long-term care homes in the province now have air conditioning, although many resident rooms still do not.
Regulations that took effect this spring require air conditioning in common areas on days when temperatures hit 26 degrees Celsius or warmer.
Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton says all 626 homes in the province are now in compliance and have air conditioning in "designated cooling areas.'' She says nearly 13 per cent of homes did not have air conditioning at all last year.